The Governor Gets the Light

In Sunday's NY Times:

"ALBANY — Joining a growing group of states that have loosened restrictions on marijuana, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York plans this week to announce an executive action that would allow limited use of the drug by those with serious illnesses, state officials say.  

The shift by Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat who had long resisted legalizing medical marijuana, comes as other states are taking increasingly liberal positions on it — most notably Colorado, where thousands have flocked to buy the drug for recreational use since it became legal on Jan. 1. 

Mr. Cuomo’s plan will be far more restrictive than the laws in Colorado or California, where medical marijuana is available to people with conditions as mild as backaches. It will allow just 20 hospitals across the state to prescribe marijuana to patients with cancer, glaucoma or other diseases that meet standards to be set by the New York State Department of Health. 

While Mr. Cuomo’s measure falls well short of full legalization, it nonetheless moves New York, long one of the nation’s most punitive states for those caught using or dealing drugs, a significant step closer to policies being embraced by marijuana advocates and lawmakers elsewhere."

All that can be said is: It's about time!

As you know, for over 35 years I have been a proponent of medical marijuana use. There are so many people that I know who would benefit greatly from the use of this drug. I can tell you, from my own experience, that when I was sick from cancer and chemotherapy in 2011 and 2012, I discovered how true this really was.

As much as many other chemo patients, I suffered from nausea, lack of appetite, lethargy, depression and other  side effects caused by the drug which was "helping" me. In December, 2011, right after I ended one of my chemo treatments, I was, of course, nauseous and weak from the treatment. A friend took me and after we left the treatment center, he gave me a joint to smoke.

Within a few minutes, that horrible wave of nausea passed and I was extremely hungry, something I had not been for months. I was able to, at lunchtime, sit and eat food that had grossed me out just by looking at it.

The Governor has taken the first step to move the Medical Marijuana debate to the front burner. While I think his initial outline is not broad enough, the fact is we can finally have an intelligent and free discussion on an issue that needs to be discussed. There is plenty of room for compromise between a Colorado-based law and his initial proposal. 

But at last, finally, the ball can start to roll. Like I said, it's about time!